Alternative Holiday Gift Guide 2020
Hey friends,
Alright, so I’ve never done this before, but I’m going to make a gift guide for this holiday season. I was thinking, I’m not too big into buying gifts, but I do like to buy cool things for my friends and family if the vibe seems right. I’m not really into shopping, but I’m huge into creating communities, and connecting with like-minded artsy people. So here is a gift guide for y’all. It’s full of my friends, my family, and artists who I admire. Especially this year, if you’re gonna buy stuff, buy from small local businesses, and buy stuff early!
“The Edge of Knowing”
$90 for a life-changing photo essay book by my super talented relatives - Ian and Magda
Purple Batwing Hoodie
$198 from an awesome clothing designer friend of mine - Katy Flynn/KFLY
Devil Ducky Clip-on Earrings
$20 you know these would make the perfect gift for that person in your life who loves rubber ducks, from my jewelry studio friend - Lana Blinderman/Opulent Cyborg
Hand Poke Tattoo
Get a gift-card for one of the coolest vegan queer hand-pokers in Seattle - Emily Rose Tattoo
Handcrafted Ceramic Wine Glasses
$60 from a super skilled friend from RISD - Hallie Morrison/Sanderamics
Sunflower Vortex Enamelware Bowl
$125 for this one-of-a-kind food-safe graphite-drawing enamel bowl by a fantastic Seattle artist - Catherine Grisez
Thick Hammered Stacker
$16.50 for a classic hammered band - Nina Raizel Jewelry
Therapeutic Massage
Treat someone you love (or yourself) to a therapeutic massage from my good friend - Kate McCoy, L.M.P.
Flower of Life Mini Bowl
$32 from this awesome glass artist I took classes with forever ago at Pratt - Shelby Kaye/Broken Arrow Glass
Dandelion Wishes Earrings
$41 make a wish with these dainty dandelion dangles by my jeweler friend - Carolyn Buss Jewelry
Monstera Leaf Earrings
$70 remember spring with these handcrafted enameled earrings by my Seattle jewelry friend - Sarah Meranda/Magpie Mouse Studios
Bridge Earrings
$82 get these minimalist earrings from one of my favorite Seattle jewelry friends - Samantha Slater Studio
Treble Clef Ring
$122 for a ring as unique as you are (or whomever you gift it to) from an amazing Seattle jeweler - Peggy Foy
Roots Band
Get rooted with this rustic band made with ethically sourced materials by my Seattle jeweler friend - Wendy Woldenberg
NOPE Necklace
$80 are you over this year yet? Say “NOPE” with this hand-cut silver necklace from - Nina Raizel Jewelry
Handmade Ceramic Mug
An awesome treasure from one of my best friends - Julia Rose
Brilliant Cut Earrings
$100 for these sharp studs by my Seattle jewelry friend - Barbara Magaña/La Objecteria
Jade Fox Pendant
Get a one-of-a-kind hand-carved jade pendant from my one-of-a-kind studio pal - Hala Aldebara/Osirion Jade
Psychic Tools 101 Class
$270 to learn how to use your psychic abilities from my mom - Madeline Hartman/Psychic Awakenings
Corrugated Aqua Earrings
75$ for these aqua enameled corragated masterpieces by my Seattle jeweler friend - Jean Shaffer
Verdi Earrings
$56 for these dangly architectural beauties by my friend - Kaylee Dorsey/Sutton Street
Thank you!
I’m all about gratitude. I’m grateful for my family, my friends, my house and all my things, my jewelry studio and tools, electricity, internet, water, food, my health…
and especially YOU! Thank you for all your support and love. I couldn’t do what I do without you.
P.S. Joing my mailing list to get updates about holiday sales
What can you do with a rolling mill?
I just got myself a new (used) rolling mill! For those of you who don’t know, a rolling mill is a really simple metal forming machine. It has 2 round metal rollers and a handle, and I use it by rolling sheet metal through the rollers. It has a few different uses.
Thin the gauge of sheet metal. This is useful if I want to recycle my own gold or silver scrap, and want to melt it and roll it out into new sheet metal.
Work harden sheet metal. Sometimes sheet metal is too soft and pliable, and rolling it between steel rollers will harden it
Smoothing out sheet metal. Sometimes sheet metal is a bit warped or uneven. Annealing (heating it up) it, and letting it cool, and then rolling it through a rolling mill will even it out
Imprinting patterns. This is my favorite thing to do with it. I have a bunch of pattern plates, that I can run through the rolling mill with softened jewelry metal, and imprint various patterns on the metal. I can also run textured paper, lacy fabric, or organic material like leaves through with metal.
These are a collection of earrings I made by imprinting patterns on powder-coated recycled aluminum samples. I just bolted down my rolling mill and wanted to test it out, so I made a bunch of circles, rolled them with pattern plates, and turned them into earrings.
I also did that with these earrings. The bases are sterling silver and I rolled them with a floral pattern plate. I left some of the edges around the bezels exposed, and oxidized them, so you can see a subtle floral texture, around and under the stones.
